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Haircuts of St. Lucie West

Haircuts of St. Lucie West

Owner: Maurice Darbyshire

Location: Port St. Lucie, FL

Maurice Darbyshire was looking for something to do once he retired. He also wanted to find a way to help support his daughter, perhaps by starting a business and passing it down to her over time. He did some research on different franchise opportunities and knew friends who had good experiences with a hair salon franchise.

How SCORE Helped:

Darbyshire has known volunteer mentor Kostas “Gus” Gregory for a while and trusted his advice. “He told me about SCORE over golf one day and given his past experience and mine I understood the importance of bouncing ideas around with experts,” Darbyshire says. “I had not previously been down in the trenches so a different perspective was helpful.”

Gregory was able to offer tips for marketing and bookkeeping. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned,” Darbyshire says, is that “You cannot beat or do anything better than getting involved in the community. All the things that go around the community are tied together.”

My Successes:

Darbyshire’s first salon has been open for more than five years, and he opened a second location in March 2017. He reports that the second location has been able to grow much more quickly than the first did, thanks to what he learned from SCORE.